Monday 17 October 2016

Isolated Free Fluid without Pneumoperitoneum on Computed Tomography in Blunt Abdominal Trauma

Non-operative management for blunt abdominal trauma (BAT) is considered the treatment of choice for patients with stable hemodynamic status. Due to the high efficiency and accuracy of abdominal computed tomography (CT) in the identification of solid organ injury, it is increasingly utilized for stable patients sustaining BAT.

Computed Tomography in Blunt Abdominal Trauma
However, the diagnosis of hollow viscus or diaphragmatic injury remains difficult. The diagnostic signs of bowel perforation are oral contrast extravasation and pneumoperitoneum; however, both diagnostic signs in the case of bowel injury have high specificity, but low sensitivity.

Other suggested signs of bowel injury, including bowel wall thickening, streaking of the mesentery, dilated bowel loops, and free fluid without solid organ injury, were unreliable.

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